


Twin Fates

by Merfilly



Series: Separating Sparks [2]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Gen, Possession, Pre-Canon, Twins, War Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-14
Updated: 2011-07-14
Packaged: 2017-10-21 09:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/223838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sideswipe and Sunstreaker have the Prime to guard, and a tight situation to get him out of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twin Fates

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fidelius](https://archiveofourown.org/works/272793) by [femme4jack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/femme4jack/pseuds/femme4jack), [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly). 



The bombardment outside was growing closer, ever closer, and the pair of warriors were passing data back and forth constantly. Together, they were almost unstoppable in single combat. This war, however, had been about everything but single combat.

The one they were sworn to protect was gravely injured. If he fell, the war would soon be over, for though many would choose to fight on, their sparks would die with the Prime. There were few who had his gift of inspiration, and fewer of those who had access to the brilliant processors of his officers for planning strikes and defenses.

::Homing in, following!:: The sudden realization burst between the pair, each with one arm under the Prime's, helping him move in hopes of getting free of the warren they were in. If they could get out, they'd be able to get under the protection of the Autobot gunnery emplacements and the Seekers would have no choice but to call off.

::What, where?:: This burst had them each scanning over themselves, their Prime, seeking any device that could be luring in the dogged pursuit. They heard a piece of the ceiling in the corridor they had passed through moments before give way, and the deep bronze mech of the two warriors let a frown pass over his face.

"Both of you... go," Prime said, dragging himself free of their aid, forcing the sword to come to him as he prepared to make a stand.

"Slag that, you overgrown scrap," the bronze mech told him in a growl, just as his sensors pinged on the source of the signal the Seekers had to be following.

"Sunstreaker, I order..." He had to cut himself off as the bronze mech struck him swiftly with the energy blade, quite precise, shaving off a piece of his thigh plating.

"Sunny!" Sideswipe squeaked out, having been just as caught off guard by the action as Prime, who was contending with new damage information.

"Stow it. That's the leg Snarl-face damaged and had repaired, before this all started," Sunstreaker snarled at his silver twin.

"Tracker," Sideswipe growled, so Prime would understand.

"It changes nothing," Optimus Prime said.

"Sure it does. I'm smaller, faster, and Sideswipe can get you out of here while I get this thing away from you," Sunstreaker said blithely, unfazed by the sheer risk he was taking. "Now run like the Pits, both of you!"

::Why you, not me?!:: Sideswipe demanded, a trickle of fear causing frissons within his spark.

::You're strong enough to carry him, but I'm faster,:: Sunstreaker told his twin, living up to it by shifting into the sleek three-wheeled design he had chosen long ago for his alternate form, and racing away at top speed.

Sideswipe could only do as his twin had demanded, even as Prime protested. "Like he said, stow it," Sideswipe growled, getting more of Prime's weight back on his own shoulders, and making their way down a different corridor.

::I'm coming back for you, brother,:: he swore.

::I'll beat you to the rendezvous, slagger,:: Sunstreaker teased him in return. Then he cut the communication down to strictly their spark-level bond, so that he could concentrate on hiding and evasion.

Sideswipe honored that by taking Optimus Prime out of these corridors as fast as he could, aiding the injured mech as much as he could.

`~`~`~`~`

They had only just made it to the bunker under the gun batteries commanded by Magnus. Perceptor was moving already as Sideswipe came into view of the sentries, bringing an aid kit toward the wounded mechs.

"Him, not me; most of this is his. Slagging rust bucket of a drone was rigged to explode when he punched through it with his sword," Sideswipe growled. "Shell was loaded with razor shards."

"That explains how so many cables and lines are nicked through the armor," Perceptor said.

"Make sure you..." Sideswipe's words cut off with an upward screech of a strangled vocalizer, as he buckled to one knee, hand coming up to clutch and scrabble at his chest seams, feeling as if his spark was being mutilated. "SUNSTREAKER!!!!"

"NO!" Prime roared, trying to turn back the way they'd come, but Perceptor quickly clambered up and pinned him down.

"Prime, you cannot!" Perceptor insisted.

Windcharger sped up to them, trying to help Sideswipe back to his feet. "I'll go, Prime. Sideswipe...that okay?"

Sideswipe made a throaty growl that might have been assent as he shoved away from Windcharger and threw himself back the way he had come.

"Go. Do not lose him," Prime ordered the small but capable mech, who hurried to obey.

`~`~`~`~`

Sideswipe had to tear at the crumpled door to get into the chamber that Sunstreaker was in, having come on it from the opposite side as the way his twin had entered. They had only seen one Decepticon drone, and Sideswipe had destroyed it in one blinding maneuver with his blade.

"Let me," Windcharger offered, but Sideswipe merely kept hacking at the door, and Windcharger decided he would be better to just stand guard.

There were no bombs falling, nor were the harmonics of jet engines screeching through the levels above this as there had been earlier. Only the sounds of creaking, broken metal and flames roaring in the distance broke the sounds made by Sideswipe's desperate attempts to get to his brother.

Finally, the door gave way, and Sideswipe scrambled in, heedless of the danger that might lay beyond. Windcharger, more cautious, saw the fallen but not deactivated Decepticon warrior and swiftly finished the mech off with a pulse of his cannon.

Sideswipe didn't notice that, either, as he slid to a prone position beside his badly damaged brother.

::Twin. Self. No!::

::Had... them.:: Sunstreaker's data pulse was weak, fading much as the glow between cracked chest plates was.

"NO!!!!!" Sideswipe tried to deny that his brother's life was fleeing even as he took in the great pool of spilled hydraulics and energon they were lying in.

::No... more... sharing?::

The three words, broken by failure to actually connect without conscious effort, were sent with the glyph for teasing, much as Sunstreaker was given to, a trait he kept for his brother, and had shared with their Prime when the younger mech had come under their care. To hear it now made Sideswipe shudder, and straddle his brother's hips, leaning down over him and pulling his chest up to support with one arm.

::Can't leave me, Sunshine,:: he pleaded, cracking his chest armor wide open, and then prying at his brother's broken plates.

::Won't drag you with me!:: Sunstreaker snapped, fast and with too much force as he glimpsed his brother's plan.

::NO! Anchor/hold/keep!:: Sideswipe snarled down the twin bond, before forcing his spark to connect to that of his twin, unifying the broken halves into one. ::Help soon.:: Sideswipe had no idea when, but surely Prime would send a medic after him. He had to. It was what Primes did. They took care of their people, no matter what.

::Keep?::

::Always, my twin, my other self, mine... Sunstreaker, please!::

The merged Spark glowed, bright and strong, as overcharged as the day it had split in half to create two of the best warriors the Autobots could know, and as it did, the bronze form that had housed one spark began to lose the color of life, tarnished by deactivation's remorseless grip.

The cry that arced out of the room was a beacon to the party that had followed more cautiously to give aid, telling them that they had come too late.

Only Windcharger was there to witness as Sideswipe, the mech who knew how to slyly tweak anyone in the Army and get away with it, held onto the grayed frame as if his entire life was bound up in it.

::Never can leave you now,:: a whispered thought passed inside Sideswipe's own processor, and the chest plates began to close as the spark was drawn full back into its casing, all without Sideswipe initiating it.

::Brother?::

::Self,:: came the whisper of a reply. ::Together now.::

Sideswipe slowly let the frame fall back, gently, into the pool of spilled fluids, and collapsed full on it, processor shutting down in a whirlwind of shock and trauma. The rescue party that entered could only gather both the fallen warrior and his grief-stricken brother, carrying them back to their Prime with heavy sparks.

Nothing would ever be the same for either Prime or his remaining warrior-guard.

`~`~`~`~`

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. _Never Surrender_ by Corey Hart began playing on my radio as I typed _::NO! Anchor/hold/keep!::_. While very appropriate, I found it a bit of cruelty on my ears and heart, knowing the resolution of this story already.
> 
> 2\. This story has already been referenced in both "Shared Journeys" and "Patronus" and is pretty much the head canon I have been using for Sunstreaker's absence.
> 
> 3\. I chose bronze rather than yellow because Sides is Silver, and I wanted a deeper metallic shade to offset him. The three wheels were chosen instead of four because I'm seeing a sleek triangular body on Cybertron.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Anchorage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/363152) by [femme4jack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/femme4jack/pseuds/femme4jack)




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